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of Ficus and Bassia. A plant brought from Mergui, and said to be 

 one from which gutta is obtained there, is now growing in the 

 Penang Garden, and is undoubtedly a Ficus, but too young for 

 specific determination. What is collected in the Langkawi Islands 

 and known as "gutta minjato" is obtained from a species of Bas- 

 sia of which better material is needed before it can be correctly 

 determined. For some time it was supposed that gutta percha 

 was obtained from one tree only which has been described under 

 the three generic names of Isonandra, Dichopsis, and Palaquim. 

 This does not as some persons think represent any doubt or con- 

 fusion as regards this particular tree, and the explanation is simple. 

 It was orginally described as an 'Isonandra and subsequently found 

 not to agree in certain characters with that genus ; consequently a 

 new genus, Dichopsis, was created. Later it was fouud that the 

 characters of Dichc psis were identically those of Palaquim which, 

 being of older date, takes precedence according to botanical eti- 

 quette. We now know 7 that there are several species of Palaquim 

 that yield good gutta percha, though perhaps none of them are 

 equal to P. gutta and P. oblongifolium ; the latter being considered 

 by some botanists as merely a varitty of the former; but much re- 

 mains to be done in the matter of determining the species and 

 varieties of this genus, and adequate material in the form of flowers 

 and fruits are rarely obtainable. In the Waterfall Valley, Penang, 

 there are two trees growing side by side and which until they 

 fruited last year were thought to be both the same kind. One has 

 rounder and deeper coloured fruits than the other and is now 

 thought to be an undescribed species, the other being the true Pala- 

 quim gutta; but whether the distinction is sufficient to warrant its 

 being considered anything more than a variety of Palaquim gutta 

 I am extremely doubtful. An analysis of the gutta gives almost 

 exactly the same result, both being of a very high class. Gutta 

 Sundek, which is a Payena and not a Palaquim, also yields good 

 gutta percha. The inferior kinds are mostly obtained from trees 

 belonging to the same order (Sapotaceae) as Palaquim gutta ; P, 

 obovata being one, which is known in Malacca as " Niato Bunga" 

 and " Niato Balam. " Some of the Bassias, and as already mentioned, 

 one or more Ficus, produce an inferior article. Malay names 

 for gutta percha trees vary in different localities and as a means 

 of identifying specirs are unreliable. As a guide to the identifica- 

 tion of genera and Natural Orders, however, they are sometimes 

 helpful and I have not found that they apply the name " taban " 

 to other than species of Palaquium ; although at Indrageri in Su- 

 matra where the name for Palaquium is Balam, and not "taban", 

 Payena Leerii is known as " Balam Sundek ". Palaquium gutta 

 is generally known as "Taban me rah" in the peninsula, "balam 

 merah " in Sumatra, and "Rkor" or "F-kor dhaun durian " in Pe- 

 nang Other species or varieties of Palaquium, having somewhat 

 similar leaves, are "taban sutra", "Taban putih", "taban chair", 

 and "taban etam" (S. Ujong). "Balam putih" in Sumatra is not 

 the same species as taban putih in Perak. Reliable information as 

 to the rate of growth and amount of gutta to be obtained from 



